That’s how the Labour Party for years described the British National Health Service.

Eleven NHS trusts were put into “special measures” after an investigation found thousands of patients died needlessly because of poor care…

Inspectors visited 21 hospitals, run by 14 NHS trusts, which had the highest recent mortality rates in England. They found that some of the risks to patients were so severe that they were forced to step in immediately.

During the visits, decisions were taken urgently to close operating theatres, suspend unsafe “out of hours” services for critically ill patients, order changes to staffing levels and to force hospitals to tackle major backlogs of scans and X-rays that had gone unexamined…

Figures showed up to 13,000 excess deaths since 2005 at the 14 trusts investigated, advisers to the review said. (More from The Telegraph)

It’s amazing the level of dysfunction going on that “they found that some of the risks to patients were so severe that they were forced to step in immediately.” I wonder what these patients would have to say about our looming health care overhaul.

“Lazy civil servants” Is there any other kind? Seriously, if you take away reward for personal effort, then lazy is always the result. ALWAYS. Medicine is headed that way slowly – just follow the cookbook and you’ll be able to stay employed.